


An Evening's Charade

by Nevanna



Category: Tortall - Tamora Pierce
Genre: Ambition, Background Relationships, Distrust, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Implied Sexual Content, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-19
Updated: 2019-06-19
Packaged: 2020-05-14 19:42:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19279876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nevanna/pseuds/Nevanna
Summary: Delia and Alex each have a performance to maintain.





	An Evening's Charade

**Author's Note:**

> This ficlet fills the "fake relationship" square for Trope Bingo.

As soon as they’re in the courtyard, out of the other guests’ hearing, Delia lets her placid expression slip. “Couldn’t you at least _pretend_ to enjoy my company?” she hisses.

“Would that serve our mission?” Alex responds calmly. “Or would it only feed your fantasy that _everybody_ adores you?”

“I care as little for your affection as you do for mine,” Delia sniffs. “But I suspect that you _do_ care about His Grace’s punishment if you should fail to return with the information that he desires.” Duke Roger had, thankfully, been pleased with her suggestion that their hosts would underestimate a newly betrothed and utterly besotted couple. She is still useful to him, in more ways than one. “I doubt that you’d enjoy it as much as you usually do.”

If those words struck a nerve, he doesn’t show it. “What makes you think that he’ll only punish one of us?”

“That’s not very chivalrous of you, Sir Alexander,” Delia remarks.

He smiles without humor. “Did you expect better of me?”

“The prince and his friends do,” she reminds him. “Wouldn’t you prefer that they not change their minds? If you can play at being honorable for the rest of Court, then you can maintain our little charade for one evening.”

Alex’s glare deepens for a moment before he collects himself and offers his arm. “My lady.”

Delia has known from the beginning that there would always be a scowl behind those two words; that he resents her closeness to Roger, and will likely never be fond of her. But as he leads her back inside, she is content that there will come a day when Alex calls her “Majesty.”


End file.
